Bush reflects on the successes, regrets of his presidency during ASU + GSV keynote

April 16, 2018

Editor's note: Read more of the highlights from the ASU + GSV Summit on our blog.

Former President George W. Bush said that the education reform passed during his administration, known as No Child Left Behind, was one of the most significant pieces of civil rights legislation ever approved.

The bipartisan act, passed in 2002, established K-12 standards that had to be proven through assessments, with the results tied to federal funding.

Bush told a crowd at the ASU + GSV Summit in San Diego on Monday night that the law took “an optimistic view of people being able to learn.”

“For the first time, in return for money, people had to show results,” he said.

“A lot of times, districts that don’t measure allow kids to graduate without any sense of accomplishment, and they tend to be inner-city kids or kids whose parents don’t speak English as a first language,” he said.

“And so finally, somebody came along and said, ‘Measure.’ ”

Bush said that although the law should have been fine-tuned, it has been successful.

“Maybe there was over-testing, but I know this: For a period of time, the achievement gap started to close because of No Child Left Behind.”

The 43rd president spoke on a wide range of topics during the keynote chat.

On what he was not able to accomplish as president:

“Immigration reform. I understand that there are people willing to do work that Americans won’t do. If you go to Dallas in 104 degrees, there aren’t a lot of Americans laying tar. I proposed in 2005 that people ought to be allowed the right to earn a place in line to become a citizen over time.

“I think people were angry that the economy wasn’t growing. It started squeezing people, who said, ‘Who can I blame?’ They blamed the government. They blamed trade, and they blamed immigrants.

“People say, ‘Why aren’t you speaking out on it?’ We have citizenship ceremonies at the Bush Center. I can’t think of a better speech to give than to stand up with two Mexicans who just became citizens while wearing Marine uniforms. If somebody is willing to die for our country, we ought to say, ‘Yes, welcome.’ ”

On his hobby of painting:

“Five years ago, I was antsy. I tried to stay fit, but it wasn’t enough. I read Winston Churchill’s essay, ‘Painting as a Pastime’ and I said, ‘If that guy can paint, so can I.’

“I picked up a paintbrush and I painted a cube. It was an unbelievably liberating experience. I paint all the time.

“I published a book called ‘Portraits of Courage.’ It’s to raise money for veterans’ programs at the Bush Library. It’s the faces of 98 veterans, all of whom I’ve gotten to know through mountain biking or golf. All of whom I admire a lot.

“It took me a year to paint them all. Some of them need help, particularly with post-traumatic stress. And that’s what the book is about — how to help a vet with post-traumatic stress.”

On remembering the day of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when he was visiting a school in Florida:

“There was a child reading to me. All of sudden the press corps in this crowded classroom was getting the same message I got.

“I had been in crises before, and the first lesson is to project calm. The second lesson is you have to say something. So I wrote a statement.

“In an instant, I became a wartime president. I made a lot of tough calls. A lot.

“Sitting in that classroom, I made a vow to protect that child, her family and the country in which she lived. That was how I conducted my presidency.”

On his mother, 92-year-old Barbara Bush, who has decided to stop treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Editor's note: Former first lady Barbara Bush died the day after this interview):

“She’s had a spectacular life, and she does not fear death.

“I’m at peace, and the reason I’m at peace is because she’s at peace.”

Top photo: An overflow room filled with more than 500 people listen to an often-comical former President George W. Bush reminisce with Ozy Media CEO Carlos Watson during the keynote fireside chat at the ASU + GSV Summit 2018 in San Diego on Monday evening (no cameras were allowed in the main event room). The two covered a variety of subjects including No Child Left Behind — the achievement gap between the low- and high-achieving students started to close; regrets — he was not able to pass comprehensive immigration reform; and the Great Recession — "I wanted to be Roosevelt, not Hoover." Photo by Charlie Leight/ASU Now

Mary Beth Faller

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On Monday, April 16, Arizona State University's School of Molecular Sciences held its annual award and recognition ceremony for outstanding students, research and teaching assistants, faculty members and their families at Old Main on ASU's Tempe campus.The ceremony recognized undergraduate and graduate students who excelled in academics and research, distinguished instructors and faculty, and spri...

On Monday, April 16, Arizona State University's School of Molecular Sciences held its annual award and recognition ceremony for outstanding students, research and teaching assistants, faculty members and their families at Old Main on ASU's Tempe campus.

The ceremony recognized undergraduate and graduate students who excelled in academics and research, distinguished instructors and faculty, and spring 2018 doctoral and master's degree graduates. Awards were presented by faculty members selected by each recipient, and presenters took the opportunity to highlight the many accomplishments of their respective students. The 2018 SMS award and scholarship recipients.Download Full Image

This year, the School of Molecular Sciences introduced several new scholarships, including the John Holloway Memorial Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships, the Edward B. Skibo Memorial Scholarship, and the forthcoming School of Molecular Sciences Innovation Award. In addition, the school announced the inaugural recipients of its Women in Science and First Generation Scholarships.

Many important donors and their families, peers, and colleagues of professors with named endowments were in attendance to help celebrate these amazing students. The school welcomed Kay Krause, daughter of Therald Moeller; former unit chair Bill Glaunsinger who presented the John Holloway Memorial Scholarships and the new School of Molecular Sciences Innovation Award; Helen Rosen, John Holloway’s wife; YuJung Skibo and Eddie Skibo, Edward B. Skibo’s wife and son; and Randy Hughes and Ted Garrett from the Arizona Society for Coatings Technology. Another special guest was Linda Raish, director of development for the natural sciences in ASU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, who has been central to the successful establishment of School of Molecular Sciences scholarships.

In total, eight achievement awards and nine scholarships were presented to the most talented and deserving undergraduate students from the school's more than 1,200 chemistry and biochemistry majors. The fall 2017 and spring 2018 Dean's Medal winners were also recognized. Additionally, this year’s School of Molecular Sciences award winners included two recipients of the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship.

Accomplished graduate students also were celebrated, with presentation of graduate awards including the John Kacoyannakis Award, the LeRoy Eyring Memorial Fellowship in Chemistry, the George Yuen Memorial Award, the inaugural John Holloway Memorial Graduate Scholarship, and Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant and Distinguished Teaching Assistant awards. The Distinguished Instructor and Student Associates of the American Chemical Society Distinction of Merit and Scholastic Occupation Faculty Teaching Awards were also presented.

These awards and scholarships are very important to the success of the students at SMS, because they recognize the talent and hard work of the recipients, and also provide financial support that allows students to focus on their learning and academic progress.

“I am very honored to be the first recipient of the SMS Women in Science Scholarship. Receiving this award has made me reflect on the gender disparity in STEM and the importance of my success as a female scientist," said Madeleine Howell, who received both the inaugural Women in Science Scholarship and the ACS Division of Physical Chemistry Undergraduate Award. "This has motivated me to work even harder to achieve my academic and career goals, so that one day I may be a role model for other aspiring female chemists. I believe that supporting the achievements of women in science is critical to increasing female representation in STEM and it is inspiring to be a part of a school that recognizes this. I would not be where I am today without the generous support of the School and the SMS faculty.”